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Officials at an upstate college have confirmed that almost 50 students have come down with the norovirus on campus in the latest outbreak in the area.

Hamilton College said in a statement Wednesday that an increased number of students were experiencing intestinal sickness and that the college had sent samples to a laboratory for testing, which confirmed norovirus.

The news of the illness comes on the heels of another college, Western Connecticut State University, in Danbury, closing its doors on Monday when more than 100 students came down with the norovirus.

WestConn reopened on Tuesday as the number of students getting sick began to dwindle, officials said.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “Norovirus is a very contagious virus that can infect anyone. You can get it from an infected person, contaminated food or water, or by touching contaminated surfaces. The virus causes your stomach or intestines or both to get inflamed. This leads you to have stomach pain, nausea, and diarrhea and to throw up.”

The virus can spread easily, said Hamilton College Associate Dean of Students for Health and Safety Jeff Landry

"It can cause severe pain and discomfort, but most people recover in a few days," he added.